It takes for granted that the computer has become a meta-medium and that artists and musicians working with computers are expected to combine different media forms in their works. This makes the program unique among other currently existing computer art or design programs.

The program also recognizes that creating sophisticated artistic works with computers requires a new model of the creative process, one that combines traditional artistic procedures with the experimental research characteristic of the sciences.

The goals of the program are:

• to prepare the next generation of artists who will be functioning in a computer-mediated culture
• to give students necessary technical, theoretical and historical backgrounds so they can contribute to the development of new aesthetics for computer media
• to prepare students to mediate between the worlds of computer science and technology, the arts, and the culture at large by being equally proficient with computing and cultural concepts
• to give students sufficient understanding of the trajectories of development in computing so they can anticipate and work with the emerging trends, rather than being locked in particular software currently available on the market.

Majors entering as Freshmen

All courses taken to satisfy major requirements must be taken for a letter grade, and only grades of C- or better will be accepted in the major.

Lower Division Requirements

(eight courses required)

Students should  complete the following lower-division courses within six quarters (by the end of their sophomore year):

MUS 4 Introduction to Western Music
VIS 1 Introduction to Art-Making*
ICAM 40 Introduction to Computing in the Arts
MATH 20A Calculus for Science and Engineering**
MATH 20B Calculus for Science and Engineering**
CSE 11 Introduction to Computer Science: JAVA***

choose one:
MUS 1A Fundamentals of Music
MUS 2A Basic Musicianship
MUS 5 Sound in Time

choose one:
MUS 6 Electronic Music
MUS 7 Music, Science, and Computers
MUS 14 Contemporary Music

* VIS 2 (Introduction to Art-Making: Motion and Time Based Art) or VIS 3 (Introduction to Art Making: Three-Dimensional Practices) can be substituted for VIS 1

** MATH 10A, 10B, and 10C (Calculus) can be substituted for MATH 20A and 20B

*** CSE 11 is an accelerated course in the JAVA programming language. CSE 8A, CSE 8AL, and 8B, which cover the same material in a non-accelerated format, may be substituted.

Upper-Division Requirements

(twelve courses required)

Survey ICAM 110 Computing in the Arts: Current Practice	Theory and History ICAM 150/VIS 159 History of Art and Technology
	-and- choose one from below:
Foundation ICAM 101/VIS 140 Digital Imaging: Image and Interactivity ICAM 102/VIS 145A Digital Media I: Time, Movement, Sound ICAM 103/MUS 170 Musical Acoustics	MUS 111 World Music Traditions MUS 114 Music of the Twentieth Century MUS 175 Musical Psychoacoustics VIS 123CN Early Print Culture: The First Media Revolution VIS 125E History of Performance VIS 150 History and Art of the Silent Cinema VIS 151 History of the Experimental Film VIS 152 Film in Social Context VIS 153 The Genre Series VIS 154 Hard Look at the Movies VIS 155 The Director Series VIS 157 Video History and Criticism VIS 158 Histories of Photography
Advanced - choose four from: ICAM 120 Virtual Environments ICAM 130/VIS 149 Seminar in Contemporary Computer Topics MUS 171 Computer Music I MUS 172 Computer Music II MUS 173 Audio Production: Mixing and Editing MUS 174A/B Audio and MIDI Studio Techniques MUS 176 Music Technology Seminar VIS 109 Advanced Projects in Media VIS 131 Special Projects in Media VIS 132 Installation Production and Studio VIS 141A Computer Programming for the Arts I VIS 141B Computer Programming for the Arts II VIS 145B Digital Media II VIS 147A Electronic Technologies for Art I VIS 147B Electronic Technologies for Art II VIS 174 Media Sketchbook
Senior Project ICAM 160A Senior Project in Computer Arts ICAM 160B Senior Project in Computer Arts

 

Download the ICAM Curriculum file as a PDF.

Link to Visual Arts webpage for ICAM and Vis Arts Course Descriptions & Annual Schedule:

Recommendations for Transfer Students

Transfer students should attempt to complete the following lower division courses before transferring to UCSD: CSE 11 (or CSE 8A/8AL/8B), MATH 20A-B (or Math 10A-B-C), and MUSIC 4.  Go to http://www.assist.org "ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California's public colleges and universities and provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about student transfer in California."

Students should also be able to find courses equivalent to MUSIC 1A, 6, and 14 at some colleges. While some of these may be listed on ASSIST, transfers should be prepared to provide course descriptions, syllabi, and/or other materials that may be required to determine the content of the courses taken at other institutions.

Transfers entering with 36 or more quarter units by their third quarter of study at UCSD should complete their remaining lower division courses for the major by the end of the third quarter.

Faculty

Amy Alexander, M.F.A., Associate Professor, Visual Arts	ajalexander@ucsd.edu
Gerald Balzano, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Music	gjbalzano@ucsd.edu
Sheldon Brown, M.F.A., Professor, Visual Arts	sgbrown@ucsd.edu
Shlomo Dubnov, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Music	sdubnov@ucsd.edu
Tom Erbe, B.S., Studio Director, Music	tre@ucsd.edu
Louis Hock, M.F.A., Professor, Visual Arts	lhock@ucsd.edu
Lev Manovich, Ph.D., Professor, Visual Arts	manovich@ucsd.edu
F. Richard Moore, Ph.D., Professor, Music	frmoore@ucsd.edu
Peter Otto, M.F.A., Music Technology Director, Music	potto@ucsd.edu
Miller Puckette, Ph.D., Professor, Music	mpuckette@ucsd.edu
Brett Stalbaum, M.F.A., Lecturer, Visual Arts	bstalbaum@ucsd.edu